Quarry

If you grew up watching the Flintstones then you would know that Fred Flintstone worked in a quarry. A quarry is a place where good rocks are found. It can be flat area or a pit of some kind. In ancient Alberta there were no good weapons without good stone. Flint andobsidian came from afar through trade, but chert, a type of quartz harder thansteel was close at hand, the best available through quarrying. The LivingstoneRange north of Turtle Mountain in Crowsnest Pass was a major quarry site as longago as 8,000 years. The site was a long, steep climb above the valley floor andthe chert lay beneath a thick layer of limestone. The ancient miners worked withantler wedges, wooden stakes or hammerstones, but the results were worth theeffort: Etherington chert is both durable and beautiful.

For more information about stones, stone tools and tool technology, visit Alberta: How the West was Young: